Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister's political lieutenant surprised us with his statement that there was an old guard within the Liberal Party and that the party could be threatened by a parallel group.
The member for Outremont is well placed to know the individuals he refers to as the “old guard”, because on November 28, 1999, he had a sumptuous meal with Jean Carle, Éric Lafleur's former boss, who was in Shawinigate up to his neck, Marc Lefrançois of VIA Rail and André Ouellet of Canada Post, two former heads of crown corporations involved in the sponsorship scandal.
And where was this sumptuous meal, accompanied by numerous fine wines, held? At the secondary residence of Jean Lafleur of Lafleur Communication!
With friends like that, the political lieutenant for Quebec doubtless has a lot to teach us about the people he is calling the old guard.